Call of Duty League is making major changes to how its playoffs work, and is adding a new event to its homestand weekends.
Under the new playoff system, all 12 CDL teams will qualify for the postseason (up from eight in the original structure), with Call of Duty League standings determining placement. The top two teams at the end of the season will receive an automatic bye to the third round. A double-elimination tournament will ensue for the remaining teams.
The prize pool, confirmed in a blog post by the CDL, will go as follows:
1st (2020 Champion): $2,000,000
2nd (one team): $1,000,000
3rd (one team): $500,000
4th (one team): $300,000
5th (two teams): $200,000
7th (two teams): $125,000
9th (two teams): $75,000
11th/12th (two teams, last place): $0
Championship weekend will take place in August 2020. CDL commissioner Johanna Faries told ESPN that it has not been determined whether that weekend will be played online or in person, saying that it will depend on the state of the coronavirus pandemic. She left open the possibility of it being played in person if it is safe enough to do so.
The league also announced that Warzone Weekend will launch at the upcoming Seattle Home Series on May 24. All 12 CDL teams will be represented by a squad of four and will compete in an exclusive, custom 48-player lobby, with a winner-take-all $10,000 prize. Faries noted that the teams of four can be composed of anyone the teams choose, including active players, substitutes and content creators.
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The custom lobby mode will be exclusive to CDL and not available to the general public. Each Warzone Weekend for now will be a standalone event, with no current plans for standings to be kept. This will not be taking the place of Hype Battles, as that is something that will be reconsidered when the league is able to entertain in-person home series events once again.
Finally, the CDL also announced in their mid-season blog that drops are coming for viewers during CDL matches, allowing them to earn rewards by watching.